ILO and SKOLKOVO releasing first-ever computer-based simulator in Arabic to train TVET managers

The International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) “Applying the G20 Training Strategy: A Partnership between the ILO and the Russian Federation” Project (Phase 2) in partnership with Moscow School of Management (Skolkovo) hosted a five-day training on the management of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions in Amman last week.

Article | Amman, Jordan | 24 October 2019
Amman, Jordan, 24 October 2019-It was such an interesting game”, said the Director of the AMRTC Ms. Suhair Barghouti. “It showed me a helicopter view of my institution from both the strategic and operational perspectives. If utilized properly, it would be a very useful tool for us to forecast how the decisions we make can influence our training facility to improve our performance”.

The International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) “Applying the G20 Training Strategy: A Partnership between the ILO and the Russian Federation” Project (Phase 2) in partnership with Moscow School of Management (Skolkovo) hosted a five-day training on the management of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions in Amman last week.

This training model distinguishes itself from other types of training insofar as being a very entertaining and easy model to apply."

Patrick Daru, Senior Skills Specialist and ILO Country Coordinator for Jordan

The ILO’s Country Coordinator, Mr. Patrick Daru, highlighted the importance of this unique practical training, which goes in line with the vision of the National Strategy for Human Resource Development (NSHRD, 2016-2025) concerning the upgrading of the TVET sector in Jordan. “This training model distinguishes itself from other types of training insofar as being a very entertaining and easy model to apply. It reflects the real context of the country via different scenarios and situations and incorporates more than 500 activity indicators,” he explained, stressing that this require trainees to “take up to 200 precise managerial decisions in a limited timeframe, all relying on logic reflections and prioritization”.

The training kicked off at Abdali Mall Recruitment and Training Centre (AMRTC), with a training of trainers (ToT) delivered by three Russian experts to a group of 12 representatives from the TVET sector in Jordan. The ToT sought to facilitate future training sessions across the Kingdom and ensure the sustainability of the training model, according to organisers.

After qualifying as master trainers, the group of local trainers and the Russian experts co-delivered a number of training sessions both at the Amman University College of Financial and Administrative Science at Al- Balqa' Applied University (BAU),and the AMRTC, targeting more than 80 TVET directors and assistant directors from the public and the private sector.

The workshop sessions entailed the development of a computer simulator tool by the Skolkovo School, specifically tailored to the local context and comprehensive of all aspects related to the management of public and private training institutes in Jordan. This tool, which has successfully beem used in countries such as Armenia, Italy and Vietnam in the past, is available in several languages including English, Spanish and Portuguese. The Arabized version used in the Jordanian training was translated from Russian, thanks to the support of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

Held for the first time in Jordan and the Arab world, the two-day computer simulator training gave participants the chance to take on managerial positions within their virtual institutions. Paired up in different working groups, participants were asked to analyse their institution’s internal and external environment, educational programs, material efficiency and technical base, as well as the demand in the market of vocational education in Jordan. Each group then had to make quick managerial decisions aimed at enhancing the functioning of their organizations in order to become market leaders.

It is expected that the tool will be mainstreamed as a systematic training of TVET institution managers and that its utilization will contribute to the overall improvement of TVET performance in Jordan.